About TEN-T

About TEN-T

The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a European Commission policy directed towards the implementation and development of a Europe-wide network of roads, railway lines, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports and rail-road terminals. It consists of two planning layers:

•The Comprehensive Network: Covering all European regions

•The Core Network: Most important connections within the Comprehensive Network linking the most important nodes

The ultimate objective of TEN-T is to close gaps, remove bottlenecks and eliminate technical barriers that exist between the transport networks of EU Member States, strengthening the social, economic and territorial cohesion of the Union and contributing to the creation of a single European transport area. The policy seeks to achieve this aim through the construction of new physical infrastructures; the adoption of innovative digital technologies, alternative fuels and universal standards; and the modernising and upgrading of existing infrastructures and platforms.

Following a 2013 review of TEN-T policy, nine Core Network Corridors were identified to streamline and facilitate the coordinated development of the TEN-T Core Network. These are complemented by two Horizontal Priorities, the ERTMS deployment and Motorways of the Sea; both established to carry forward the strategic implementation of the objectives of the Core Network, in-line with the funding period, 2014 to 2020.

Oversight of the Corridors and the implementation of the two Horizontal Priorities lies with European Coordinators; high-level personalities with long standing experience in transport, financing and European politics, nominated by the European Commission.

First generation Work Plans for each Corridor and Horizontal Priority were presented in 2014, outlining exact objectives for each Corridor and Horizontal Priority, within the framework of the TEN-T Core Network. This is a continuous process, which takes into consideration current developments.

EU funding for projects on each Corridor and Horizontal Priority is provided by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), with relevant Member States obliged to align national infrastructure investment policy with European priorities. Other sources of funding and financing include the European Structural and Investment Funds and the European Fund for Strategic Investment.